Strategic Planning Infographic | Resource from Savvy Marketing Works

Step One: Prepare to Prepare

You want to know what’s working with your team, tech, and programs before you get too far down the line of planning. If something’s not working and you need to make a change, you’ll want to budget for it.

Step Four: Plan & Budget

This likely starts in parallel with other activities, but now’s the time to lock in your plans and budget for the coming year.

Step Two: Prepare for Strategic Discussions

Before you head into your company’s strategic planning session, you’ll want to walk in confident with your situation, understanding where the organization is heading, and aligned with your colleagues.

Step Five: Get Alignment

You’ll need buy-in from other leaders, your CEO and board, and to align your team. Making sure everyone understands how it’s going to work and deliver results reduces confusion and disappointment later on.

Step Three: Show Up Strong

At the strategy session(s), weigh in! Make the most of the focused time together. And enable your team to help you with next steps.

Step Six: Close Out the Year & Go!

The end of the year can be challenging as you close out what you’ve been working on, finalize budgets and plans, get through performance reviews and open enrollment, and get things started for the next year all at the same time. With careful planning, you can make it happen. I generally suggest keeping Q4 a little lighter in terms of newer execution and focus on closing what we’ve got and warming up newer leads for the next year.

Strategic Planning Preparation

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